For reasons of patient proximity and patient safety, during an examination or image-guided therapy, it can be advantageous for a user, in particular medical staff, to be able to remain close to the medical imaging apparatus. However, it is also important to minimize risks to the health of the user, in particular due to X-rays. Patient proximity can have a direct effect on the comfort of conscious, cooperative patients making them more cooperative and hence achieving better examination results and patient satisfaction. This also increases patient compliance, for example in the case of breathing commands, restrictions of movement, calming agitating patients or the like. In addition, patient proximity can result in better control of patients who are sedated, anesthetized or uncooperative or patients in a potentially fatal condition.
Not only radiologists, but also physicians in other specialized disciplines can benefit from patient proximity, for example an anesthetist in the case of intensive-care patients or patients with multiple injuries or an internal specialist or surgeon in emergencies. One possibility for a user to establish patient proximity is based on the use of a radiation protection vest, but this can only partially protect the user. As a rule, due to the exposure to radiation, such protection is only used if there are special reasons, for example in the case of children and/or high-risk interventions. Otherwise, in many cases the user is required to leave the examination chamber in which the medical imaging apparatus is located before the initiation of the radiation for the acquisition of imaging data and remain, for example, in a control room protected against ionizing radiation from which the medical imaging apparatus can be operated.